Dance with the Dogs
by tikinottyki
Summary: Psyche! Sequel to Mashukumei: A new case has stumbled into Zero's hands, and yet this is the most confusing one yet. Evidence and history don't make any sense, and when Zero comes close to finding the truth, will he become the next victim?
1. Chapter 1

"Mm… God, you make me want to scr-ugh!"

"Relax, Zero. Damn, you're tight."

"Well… ah… damn…"

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"I don't know… Is… is that your cell phone?"

"… Aw, Christ…"

The sheets rustled as I clambered out of bed and reached for my ringing phone. "What do you want, Cross? I'm a little busy here," I growled.

"Oh, sorry to interrupt you. What were you doing?" Cross' voice replied.

"Um…" My mind drew a blank as I thought of a story to tell him, but my brain failed me.

"It's okay; you don't have to tell me. I was wondering if you could come down to a new crime scene to look at something. Do you mind?"

I stifled back a gasp as Kaname came up behind me and suckled the nape of my neck. "Um… yeah, sure, I'll… aah… When should I come bynyah…?"

"Well, the forensics team is still not done with identifying the body, so they asked the Hunter's Association not to come out until later. I was thinking about headin' out, oh, noonish."

"Sure, yeah. I'll, uh… meet you at headquarters…"

I flipped the phone shut as Kaname pulled back from my neck. "What did he want?" he whispered into my ear.

"They found a body; Cross wants me to come by and look at it," I replied as I set my phone on silent and tossed it on the bedside table. "He wants me there around noon."

"What time is it?"

"About eight thirty."

Kaname chuckled lightly as he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in. "Then you've got time. You can go back to bed for another hour or two."

"No, I should really be getting ready," I replied as I tried to wriggle out of his tight hold. He wasn't letting got and decided it would be entertaining to breathe down my spine and nibble along my neck. "Oh… fine…"

_(Hello again everyone! Your favorite pair has returned for another exciting, suspenseful story! Thanks again for reading and hope you enjoy!)_

"Kiyruu-kun, I'm glad you were able to show up."

I looked up as I hastily tightened my belt. "Yeah, sorry I'm late. I got a little side tracked," I replied.

Cross nodded. "I can tell. When did your pants get so long?" he asked.

Looking down, I chuckled nervously to myself when I noticed how my pants now billowed at my ankles. These weren't my pants; they were Kaname's. "Like I said, I got a little side tracked," I stated, sitting at the desk opposite him. "So, watcha got?

"A body was found this morning, or rather, what was left of it," Cross answered as he handed me the file. "Strange thing is we can't identify the body; it has no outward traits and the flesh has been completely cleaned off."

The crime scene photos were enough to make me hurl. "Oh God… what the hell could do such a thing?" I asked.

Cross leaned back in his chair and sighed. "That's what we're trying to figure out. No evidence points to the murderer being a vampire."

My brow rose. "Then why do we have this case to begin with?"

A smile spread on his face. "It piqued my interest!"

"You… you're sick." I closed the file and slapped it back down on his desk. "I'm not taking the case until there is proof that can connect this murder to vampires. This is a Vampire Hunters' Association, not the FBI," I stated.

"But…"

"Case closed. Hand it over to the Special Forces in Tokyo; they'll do a better job than us."

"Kiryuu-kun… I can't give the case over," Cross said in a low tone.

I glared at him from over my shoulder. "Why not? It's out of our hands," I replied.

"You failed to let me finish. So far, the forensics team has been able to identify a distinct feature about our victim: fangs. I do believe this puts the ball in our court."

"Well, we can't do much until the body has been identified," I said, picking up the file again. "Aren't we gonna go to the scene now?"

"Yeah," the man replied as he stood and pulled his hair back in a ponytail. "On the other hand, I want to know how you and Kaname are coming along."

"Can it."

Cross' eyes brimmed with tears. "Wha-? I'm your adoptive father! I should know how my son's love life is!"

I slapped the file across his face, yelling, "My love life doesn't concern you!"

"… so cruel…" the Chairman whimpered.

My eyes narrowed as I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out of the office. "Come on, let's get this case done and over with."

_(It's off to the crime scene! Sorry this chapter has so many jumps…)_

We got to the scene around two; traffic had been really bad, and, on top of that, we had to explain to the cops that although I was a minor, I had been assigned to the case.

"You don't look much older than seventeen; are you sure you're on the case?" the cop asked.

"Yeah, it's my case. What of my age?" I questioned back, raising my brow.

The guy scratched the back of his neck. "You seem awful young to be going into the field. Can you handle the blood?"

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end at the question. "Dude, I've killed more criminals than you've banged your wife. I think I can handle this."

He quickly shut up, his face turning a fierce red as he stepped out of my way. "The body's in there," he stammered, pointing to the abandoned warehouse.

I ducked below the caution tape and strode up to the old building. "Man, what a stereotyped place for a murder," I said to myself.

"I know; just looking at this place gives me the creeps," Cross replied.

The warehouse was teeming with forensics people and cops. Little red markers were placed here and there on what appeared to be valuable evidence. There, in the center of the room, was the mutilated body; well, skeleton, more like. It hung by the ankles from chains that rain up to the ceiling, and the neck had been partly severed from the spine. Like Cross had said, all the flesh had been stripped clean off, but it was evident on the bones what really happened.

"These are teeth marks," I commented, bending down close to the skeleton and looking over it.

"How do you know that?" Cross asked.

I took a bony hand in mine, looking over the wear and tear of the decay. "I'm no anthropologist, but these look like teeth marks. See? Enlarged canine teeth would fit in these two spaces."

"Enlarged canines? Like fangs?"

Taking a step back, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. "Wow, this forensics team sucks if I was able to figure out that this person was eaten alive… this is the work of a vampire, though I don't know why he didn't just suck their blood instead of eating this poor person…"

Cross shook his head. "I've never heard of this before… a vampire eating one of his own? This is strange…"

I looked back to him, my eyes narrowed. "Is there some kind of ancient ritual? A ceremony that purebloods would participate in that required this?" I asked.

"No… none that I am aware of, but my research only goes back as far as the eighteenth century. You might want to ask Kaname; only purebloods will know of something like this… something… dark…"

With a heavy sigh, I looked back to the body. "Well… let's hope we don't have any more bodies show up."


	2. Chapter 2

"Welcome back, Kiryuu-kun! It's been a while since we've seen you."

I smirked as I let myself in and handed Aidou my coat. "Don't get used to me coming here often; I only have a few questions, and then I need to get home."

"Is this about that new case you have, Zero-kun?"

At the top of the stairway was Kaname, who leaned against the railing with one arm. I smiled slightly at the sight of him. "Yeah; I'm guessing Cross contacted you about it?"

He nodded for me to come up and follow him. "Aidou, would you bring my dinner up? Bring something for Zero-kun as well," he said before turning away.

"Hai!"

I followed Kaname back to the study near the end of the house, away from the ears of any eavesdroppers. The only time I had been in this room was six months ago during the Jack the Ripper case, and now I had returned for a newer, more sinister one. "Damn, I never realized how many books you have," I stated, awing at the books that lined across the walls.

Kaname grinned. "Would it surprise you that my family never paid for one book? They were all gifts from groveling nobles," he replied. "They also contain any information you need about ancient rituals."

I shook my head. "Nah, I never was one to read books. I'd rather ask you instead."

"I'm glad you like hearing my voice."

"No, I just like staring at you."

He chuckled as he sat at the table. "Well, then ask and stare away."

I pulled the file from the inside of my coat, laying it out on the table. "The victim was found hung up by the ankles. Evidence shows that whoever killed him ate him as well."

Kaname took the crime scene photos and looked over them, his eyes scanning over anything I might have missed. "Do we know who this is yet?" he asked, looking up to me.

"No."

He sighed, sliding the photos back to me. "You said he had been eaten? There's only one thing that I can think of that would link something like this to an ancient ceremony the purebloods participated in." Then he stood, walking over to a section of books and running his fingertips over the leather bindings. With a grin, he pulled out an old brown book (about as thick as a Bible) and set in on the table before me. "This should help you."

I looked down to the book, my lips curling in disgust. "What? Why can't I Google this shit?" I asked as I opened the fragile book.

"Do you think Google would give you firsthand accounts of what you're looking for?" Kaname asked in return.

My brow furrowed. "Man… you're good…"

The writings in the book were not of any text or language I had ever seen before. Instead of letters I was used to seeing, these square formations lined along the pages in a flowing fashion, almost an unstoppable movement of the pen. My eyes widened as I tried to understand the unfamiliar words. "It's Chinese. This book was written during the times of the Song Dynasty, and was given to the Kuran family over a century ago by the relatives Yu Fei, the author of the Man Jiang Hong."

I flipped back and forth through the book before finally slamming it shut and exclaiming, "I can't understand a fucking word!"

Kaname placed his hand gently over mine. "Calm down," he said soothingly.

Heaving a sigh, I turned the book towards him, saying, "Read it to me."

He smiled as he took the old book and opened it to the middle, dusting off the pages. "Back during the Song Dynasty, China was greatly repressed by the Mongols. A sign towards the enemy was to eat the flesh of the captured enemy people, a sign which expressed hatred. I believe that someone who hates the purebloods has come to take revenge."

My brow arched. "You got all that from a few pictures and little background information?" I asked sarcastically.

Kaname's eyes dulled. "My, you're being awful bossy today," he said in a monotone voice.

"I'm pissed that I still have no idea where you're going!" I stated harshly.

"The victim is Yu Tou Yao."

"How do you know that?!"

Kaname pointed to the close up photo of the victim's skull. "Yao's fangs were broken when she was younger; they never grew back right, so she always had to drink her blood from a glass."

I took a closer look at the victim's pearly white fangs to see that they were, in fact, both chipped. "How did I not notice that earlier?" I said to myself. "What do you know about Yao?"

He touched his fingers to his lips, a sad expression on his face. "She was a frail girl… not even sixteen years old. Her father tried to offer her to me as a bride not too long ago… she was pretty, yes, but for some reason, she couldn't hold blood down like the rest of us purebloods… She was very much like you when it came to blood; she detested it."

A hard pain hit my chest as I heard all this. "So young…" I whispered, lowering my head.

"It surprises me that no one knew she was missing; the Yu family always watched after her, loving and doting on her. She was the apple of her family's eyes."

"If she was so cherished among her family and the other purebloods, why was she killed like this? Why did she deserve to be hung upside down and eaten alive?" I asked.

Kaname shrugged as he closed the book and pushed it towards me. "I don't know. It must be a sign. You identified the killer to be a vampire, right? If he wanted to warn all vampires, he would have come to kill me and not Yao. However, for him to have killed another pureblood… it's a warning against the Yu family."

"This doesn't make any sense…" I muttered. "If she was a pureblood… wouldn't she have shattered into nothingness?"

"Not necessarily," Kaname replied as he stood. "There are ways to make vampires not vampires."

My mind wondered over these possibilities. "Like… like how Yuuki was human for ten years? Could something like have that happened here?"

"… yes…"

None of the evidence lined up… in fact, nothing lined up! The only thing that made sense to me was that a young girl was killed in the name of vengeance. A young girl had her heritage stripped from her and was eaten alive. All for what?

Hatred.

"Thanks, Kaname. I'll give the information to Cross," I said in a low tone.

He patted me on the shoulder, saying, "I know this is hard for you to grasp, but time can only tell. Zero-kun…" He paused to lean down and kiss my forehead. "Don't hesitate to call, okay? I'm here for you."

A weak smile spread my thin lips. "Thanks."

About that time, Aidou came stumbling into the study with food. "Sorry that took so long, Kaname-sama! The cook burned the chicken, so she had to start all over again," he said breathlessly.

Kaname laughed. "Don't worry about it, Aidou-kun. Would you mind setting a place on the table for Zero-kun? He'll be joining us for dinner."

Aidou's eyes widened. "Eh? After I brought the food all the way up here?"

"Yes."

"Actually," I began as I stood. "I need to be getting home. I still have papers due to the Association regarding my last case."

Kaname grinned. "All right. Be careful on the way back; it's late."

"I can take care of myself."


	3. Chapter 3

My stomach growled as I made my way down the dark streets, a growl loud enough to echo. "I should have just stayed there and ate," I grumbled to myself.

Tonight sucked. Not only was I confused about the case, but I was hungry, which made me pissy. None of the cafes or restaurants were open; the summer holidays meant vacation… for _everyone_. During the spring, the streets would be flooded with people enjoying the nice weather. Now that it was summer, everyone flocked to the beaches or mountains, leaving the town strangely deserted. I like it, the quietness, but sometimes I got an eerie feeling whenever I passed by dark alleys or abandoned shops.

I looked up to the sky as I walked, studying the lack of stars and the full moon that stared back at me. The night was clear, and for that I was grateful; if it had been raining I would have been more pissed off.

The sudden vibrating of my phone startled me. Reaching into my pocket, I flipped open the phone, saying, "Moshi moshi?"

"Kiryuu-kun! 'Alo!"

My eye twitched. "What do you want, Cross?" I asked in a low growl.

"The autopsy report just came in, and there's some very interesting information I thought you would want to know," he replied.

"… the victim is Yu Tou Yao."

"Eh?! How do you know that?!"

"Kaname identified her; apparently, vampires can tell a lot about a person by their teeth," I replied. "What did you find?"

"The marks on the bone were not left by a vampire; Miss Yao was eaten by dogs," Cross replied.

I sighed; the theory Kaname and I worked so hard on just burned and flew out the window. One more thing to add to my frustration. "So, there's no sign of cannibalism then?"

"Nope," came the reply.

"What else did you find?"

"Well, I was curious as to why our victim never shattered into a million pieces upon death, so I did some searching of my own. Shortly before she died, Miss Yao had been, how should I put this, formatted to fit a human profile, but somehow her fangs never changed," Cross stated. "I believe our killer meant to leave behind a body for us to find."

I nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Kaname said the body was a warning meant for him as opposed to Yao's family; from what he said, they have no enemies."

"That's all I could find right now; are you on your way home?"

"Yeah, I'm almost there."

"Be careful. If this killer knows you have some connection with Kaname-kun, he might be coming after you as well."

Even as he said this, I approached a flickering street light. In other circumstances, I wouldn't find anything abnormal about this light, except for tonight something caught my eye. Emerging from the shadows were two large strays, the black fur on the back of their necks standing on end. I froze, watching their lips curl back to reveal sharp gnashing teeth. "Hey, Cross… let me call you back..."

"Hm? Why?"

Before I could say anything else, the dogs' vicious barks and growls were enough to send me spinning on my heel. Normally I would shoot at anything that attacked me, but last I checked, dogs can't become vampires, which meant my gun was useless. I ran as fast as I could, every once in a while looking back to see them cutting in close.

"Shit!"

I turned a sharp corner only to run into a chain-link fence. Swearing under my breath, I climbed up as fast as I could, but my efforts were useless. Sharp crushing teeth clamped down on my ankle, dragging me back to the hard asphalt. I scooted back against the wall as fast as I could, kicking at the snarling animal. I yelled as the dog thrashed its head about, tearing up my leg and ripping the flesh down to the bone. Yanking my gun from its strap on my belt, I whacked the dog across the forehead with the handle. However, the other dog caught me around the arm and pulled hard so I was twisted over on my side. Claws dug into my ribs and side as the second dog climbed on top of me and went for the back of my neck.

"Jesus Christ!" I yelled, rolling over and sending the dog into the wall with a yelp.

I scrambled to my feet, desperate to get out of there. Blood gushed from the massive wound on my leg, and my arm hung limp to my side.

"Kiryuu-kun! What's going on?!"

Looking down to my hand, I realized I never did hang up on Cross. "Cross! Where are you right now?" I gasped.

"I should be asking you the same thing!" he replied in a worried tone.

I looked frantically around for something recognizable; if Cross could get here fast, then this whole ordeal was as good as over. "The bakery!" I cried. "The French bakery! I'm by there!"

"Kiryuu-kun, don't move from there. I'm coming to get you."

The phone went dead as he hung up. I gritted my teeth as I hobbled over to the nearest wall, sinking down and gasping for air. Luckily the dogs never returned; I wondered if I had killed them. I gently rolled up my pant leg, grimacing at the deep gashes in my ankle.

"Damn bastard…" I hissed. "I should have drilled a hole in his head…"

I didn't notice the small figure that had emerged before me, so I was caught completely unaware when two fingers touched my forehead. "Sleep," a soft voice whispered.

My entire body went numb as I stared blankly at the dark figure. Despite how warm it was, I felt a sudden chill ghost over my skin. "Who… are you…?" I mumbled before my head fell forward on my chest.

"I'm no one you should trust," I heard the voice reply before I slipped into a deep sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

I jolted awake at the grinding pain in my leg. Cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I lifted my head up gasping for breath. "What... what the hell is going on?" I managed to ask between pained breaths.

"Hold still," a voice said, "I'm resetting your ankle."

There was a sickening crack that sent me screaming and thrashing against whatever the hell it was holding me down. When I found that I couldn't move, I craned my head back and tried to stifle back the painful groans. I whipped my head from side to side, yelling, "FUCK!"

"Stop moving! I can't get it straight with you moving around like this!"

I lifted my head, glaring at the hazy figure before me and shouting back, "How the fuck do you expect me to stay still when you're ripping my leg apart?!"

A plastic mask was placed over my mouth and nose, and nauseous gas fogged up the clear plastic as I breathed it in. I felt suddenly more relaxed, and the pain in my leg had dulled some. "There, that should keep you still," the voice sighed as the mask was pulled away. "I'm sorry about the dogs; they normally don't act like that around... strangers..."

My brow furrowed as I lifted my head. "What? Those were... your dogs...?" I asked, my words slurring together due to the gas.

The figure chuckled lightly. "Of course, though, I am sad they're gone. You bashed in the skull of one and broke the back of the other." It sighed heavily, adding, "I guess I'll have to get more later on."

"Your dogs haven't killed anybody... have they...."

The voice's tone changed, lower in pitch and almost a growl in it. "Of course they have. They had a wonderful feast not too long ago, though you already know about that."

My eyes widened. This person... was Yao's killer?! "You... killed Yu Tou Yao, didn't you?" I asked, pulling myself up only to find that I couldn't.

"Oh, you won't be moving around any time soon." The person, a girl, leaned down to my side and pointed at my bound wrists. "No matter how hard you struggle against these babies, you're not getting out. But besides that, how did you guess I killed Miss Yao?"

I gritted my teeth. "It doesn't matter. What do you want with me?"

The girl shrugged, moving back to focus on my ankle. "I want to erase your existence; is that answer enough?"

"... what have I done to make you want to kill me?"

She turned back to face me, her wide golden eyes looking up to the ceiling as she tapped her chin. "Well... to put it lightly, you were following my tracks, and I don't like it when people get too close to finding the answer," she replied.

I furrowed my brow. "Bitch, we didn't even come close to getting a suspect list in order; you just confessed to a crime you were never convicted of," I stated bluntly. Man, this girl was an idiot.

A small chuckle shook the girl's shoulders. "Oops, I assumed the worst then, right?" She leaned down close to my ankle, poking at the wound. "Man, I wish they didn't toss you around so much; this will take a good week or so to heal up..." she moaned.

My lips curled back in a snicker. "Is that a bad thing? I want to get better!" I stated roughly. When golden orbs flashed back up at me, I quickly shut my mouth.

"I want you to get better, too... my babies are going to be dusty next I see them, though..."

"Your... babies?"

With a smirk, the girl skipped over to a wall, saying, "Yes, my babies." The wall parted, revealing horrifying tools and weapons. My eyes widened at the sight of the pointed tongs and the many sizes of screwdrivers, the yards of chains and leather face masks. Of course there were other things I never even seen or heard of before, but my imagination gave me an idea of what they were used for.

"You mean... to torture me?"

She smiled innocently, folding her hands behind her back and leaping back to my side. "That's right! You see, I'm looking for someone important, and I can't find him without your help. I thought that Yao, as frail as she was, would crack and tell me, but she was too stubborn for my taste. So I'm trying a different method." She giggled like a little child as she brushed back my hair and tapped my forehead with her fingertip. "Yep, I'm trying a new method... I'll get the answers from you, even if I have to beat you for them."

I turned my head away, growling, "Don't touch me."

Her golden eyes narrowed. "I'm just trying to be nice, Zero-kun."

I whipped my head back around to face her, my eyes narrowed and teeth bared. "You... how do you know my name?"

She turned her head to the side, shrugging. "The nice man on the phone. He kept asking for you. Also, my name is not 'you'; it's Kojima Chiaki. Do you like my name?"

"How the hell did Cross call you?"

"Cross?" Her head tilted to the side, her brow furrowed in confusion. "It wasn't Cross; it was someone else, but he wouldn't tell me his name. He just kept asking for Zero-kun. Would you know who it is?"

Kaname.

"No. How do you know it wasn't Cross?"

"... I know the sound of that man's voice..." She stood still for a while, staring at the wall with blank golden eyes. I watched as her fists tightened to her sides, and her shoulders shook with rage. "Yes, Cross Kaien... he killed our parents... our sister... our brother... He took everything from us..."


	5. Chapter 5

"Ohaiyo, Zero-kun!"

"... don't call me that..."

I turned my head as Chiaki skipped to my side, a gleeful smile on her face. "I found some apples today. Look, they're red! Want one?"

"No."

Chiaki's bottom lip pouted as she leaned forward on the table and shook my bound arm. "Please, Zero-kun! It's a gift," she begged.

"I told you I don't want it!"

She went silent at my sudden outburst, her golden eyes widening. "I'm sorry, Zero-kun..." she muttered as she sat back and let the apples fall to the floor. "I was just trying to be nice."

Turning my head back towards her, I could only glare. "You have your dogs attack me, you tie me to a table and mock me, and you plan on torturing me for answers. What makes you think I would want to be your friend after this?!" I shouted.

"Zero-kun..."

"Shut up! Don't call me that!"

Chiaki looked down to her shoes, clicking her toes together every once in a while. "Why... why don't you want me to call you that? Is there someone that you love who says that?" she asked.

My breath hitched at her question; for a twelve year old psycho-killing kid, she was smart... sometimes. I looked away, pretending to study the wall.

"What's she like? Is she beautiful?"

For probably the seventeenth time today, I thought back to Kaname. A whole week had gone by since we last saw each other, since we last touched. I wonder what he was doing without me there. For all I knew, he and Cross were out there right now looking for me. "Yes... very beautiful..." I muttered under my breath.

Chiaki's golden eyes grew warm, something I had never seen from her. "I'm happy for you. Does she know you love her too?" she asked, a little choke in her soft voice.

"Yeah... he knows..."

"He?"

"Got a problem with it?"

Chiaki shook her head, her cheeks turning red. "No, it's just... I loved someone, too. She was very beautiful, my Mamma... and my little brother was so adorable..."

A tear rolled down her cheek, and soon, she was balling her eyes out. Despite everything that had happened this past week, I couldn't help but feel sorry for her. "Chiaki..."

"My name is not Chiaki... it's Matsuo Amane... Chiaki is the other person in my mind."

Two people in one mind? That would explain the constant mood changes, but something still didn't seem quite right. If there were two minds, why was the real person not the dominant figure? If she was telling the truth, that her real name was Amane, then Amane's personality would be more prominent; however, it seemed to me that Chiaki was the center of her soul. "I don't believe you," I said bluntly.

Chiaki (or Amane, or whatever) sat silent, twisting the ends of her curly black hair around her fingers. "I was a noble once," she sniffled, "my family knew the Kuran household very well. We weren't bad people... we wanted to live happily and peacefully. My Mamma... she got sick after Eiji was born; Papa said she was dying. One day... one day, I got home from school, and the house was all bloody. Cross Kaien... he was standing over my family. He... he murdered them..."

I noticed the corners of her lips begin to twitch as she fought off a smile, and her eyes were shaking. She was mentally losing it. "Chi-Amane..."

"There was no one to call me 'little darling' anymore," she continued, "There was no little hand to hold on to mine. I never sat in Papa's lap again, and my sister never read me any more bedtime stories. They were all gone..." She turned rigidly towards me, now pulling at the ends of her hair. "You know Cross Kaien, right? You know where to find him so I can kill him?"

She lost it. Her mind had officially broken and was now crumbling down to insanity. Amane was quickly giving into Chiaki's hold. If I said one word out of place, she would release hell. "I... I don't know where he is now," I replied cautiously.

A hard palm struck my face. "You lie! You know where Cross Kaien is! Tell me now!" she yelled frantically. When I didn't answer, she grabbed me roughly by the collar, shaking me and screaming, "TELL ME!"

I closed my eyes and turned away. "Even if I did know where he was now, I wouldn't tell you, no matter how many times you hit me. Cross is as precious to me as your family was to you; he took me in when I had nowhere else to go," I said truthfully. Wow, if Cross ever heard I said that, I was going to kill whoever told him.

Aname's face suddenly changed, her tears ceasing and eyes narrowing. "So, that's how it is?" she asked with a strange twist in her tone.

"I'm sorry, Amane, but-"

"My name is not Amane!"

Shit, this was Chiaki. Aname would have listened, but if I tried negotiating with Chiaki, there would be no chance in hell.

With a smirk, Chiaki turned and kicked at a switch sticking up in the ground before sauntering over to the wall of torture. I felt the table begin to move backwards as it lined up against the wall. The chains around my wrists pinched my skin as I dangled an inch off the ground.

"Now do you believe that our minds do exist?" Chiaki asked as she took a leather whip from her collection and wrapped the chords around her fist. "Think about it, do you think I would allow for my questions to go unanswered? If it weren't for me, Amane wouldn't be alive.

My eyes widened as the realization hit me: the two minds in one body... it was real. The Amane this person claimed to truly be was gentle in nature and always tried to be my friend; Chiaki, however, was the one who taunted and abused me. If there was a way to call out to Amane and awaken her, then this would be over. "Amane, don't do this," I pleaded. "You'll only be hurting yourself."

The girl shoved the butt of the whip against my jaw, forcing my head up. "I'm sorry, Amane's not home right now," Chiaki mocked. She chuckled as she drew in closer. "Tell me, Zero-kun, this person that you love... if he were doing this, would you answer the questions?"

I looked away, biting my lip. "I would answer without hesitation, Amane," I replied.

She scoffed. "This Cross... do you realize how dangerous of a man you're working with? He's a real bastard."

"No," I whispered hoarsely. "He took me in even though he knew what I was to become. He helped me."

"He had no mercy on my family!" Chiaki shouted as she pushed the whip's handle harder against my neck. "My family was innocent, and he took them all away!" She unfurled the whip, cracking it against the floor. "He killed them!"

Closing my eyes and lowering my head, I muttered, "Cross is a good man; he would never kill anyone unless he had to."

Chiaki's golden eyes flared with rage. "Did he have to kill my dying mother?! Did my infant brother have to die?! DID THEY?!"

I bit down on my tongue as the whip's three leather tails lashed against my chest, making long gashes in my shirt and skin. It wasn't so much the wounds that got to me; it was the undying sting of flesh being torn away. "Amane, please..." I murmured before the whip came down again.

A wide grin spread on Chiaki's face as my blood splattered across her clothes and skin. "Amane is no longer here! Amane died that night! Now tell me where Cross Kaien is! TELL ME!"

I lost count of how many times the whip struck me as well as how many time Chiaki's voice screamed. I just hung my head low, pretending not to feel any pain. God, I wished this would end; I've been shot and stabbed before, but the pain then was nothing like this. It was a disgusting feeling, your skin being ripped off your body. When I next opened my eyes, my shirt was in tatters and Chiaki looked as if an artist had dipped a large paintbrush in red paint and flicked it on her; there was so much blood. With a growl, Chiaki threw away the whip and grabbed my jaw. "If you won't tell me where Cross is... I will kill you," she hissed.

"... then do it..."

Next I knew, the chains around my wrists were broken and I was sprawled on the floor. "It's a good thing for you I don't have the dogs with me," Chiaki stated as she pressed her hell against the back of my neck. "They would have torn you to pieces by now. Oh well. I guess I'll have to get creative."

There was a loud explosion as one of the walls collapsed and dust filled the room. I heard several stomping feet coming closer, though I couldn't see anyone. For the first time in a week, I could breathe a sigh of relief: I was found.

"Vampire!" a familiar voice yelled. "Back away from him now before I put a bullet in your miserable head."

Two booted feet appeared in view. I smiled weakly at the familiarity of them. "Yagari... sensei..." I muttered.

Chiaki flung herself backwards, crouching low in a corner as the smoke cleared. "Zero-kun! Don't let them kill me!" she cried.

A gentle hand rested on my head, and Cross' faint voice said, "Kiryuu-kun, thank goodness you're alive."

I glanced up to see his smiling face. "Cross... you found me..."

He tilted his head to the side. "Don't thank me; Kaname helped out," he replied.

"Cross Kaien..."

We all looked over to see Chiaki, who had stood; there was a hateful spark in her gold eyes. "You... murdered my family," she hissed.

Cross' eyes filled with concern. "Amane, I remember you," he said in a fatherly tone. "Why... why are you accusing me of that?"

Before Cross could ask anything else, Chiaki had leapt from her corner at him (whip in hand), screaming, "I'm going to kill you!"

Yagari caught her around the wrists, saying, "Look, Missy, you're standing on a fine line between living and dying. I have no mercy on kids."

"Take her back to headquarters."

The other hunters, as well as Yagari, looked shocked at Cross' order. "She killed a person and kidnapped one of our own," my teacher retaliated. "Why should we let her live?"

"... personal reasons..."

Yagari's brow arched. "Personal reasons?"

Using Cross as a leaning post, I sat up and leaned on his shoulder. "I agree with Cross," I replied. "There are more questions we need to ask her."

"Even after she held you captive and tortured you?"

I nodded. "Yes. Although Chiaki is speaking now, Amane...

Amane is not dead..."


	6. Chapter 6

I was so bored, I couldn't think straight. There was nothing on TV. in the hospital room, and I had already read through the pile of magazines given to me by the nurse. So, lying back against the pillows, all I could do was stare up at the ceiling.

"You look like you're having fun."

Kaname was standing at the door, a smug grin on his face and his hands stuffed in his pockets. I raised my brow, replying, "Yes... thrilling..."

He closed the door behind him, chuckling at my sarcastic comment. "How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat down next down me and took my hand.

"Could be better," I said with a shrug. "The doctor says I'll have a lot of scarring once I heal up, but that doesn't bother me."

The pureblood lowered his head, closing his eyes. "It bothers me; I can't believe someone would dare blemish your perfect body."

I blushed and looked away. "I have plenty of scars..." I replied honestly.

He smiled as he tilted his forehead against mine and stroked the side of my face with his knuckles. "I missed you... terribly..." he whispered.

A surge of warmth rushed through my body as I closed my eyes. I missed this touch, this closeness with Kaname. A week apart was so long for the both of us, and now that we were together again, I didn't want him to leave my side. Ever.

"Stay with me tonight; I get bored," I said softly.

Kaname grinned. "I wish I could, but Yuuki will miss me tonight," he replied.

I gripped his collar tightly, keeping him close. "Yuuki has seen you all week; I haven't."

"Are you jealous now?"

My eyes widened and my mouth gaped. "What? Me, jealous?"

"Of course you are," he whispered, a slight twist to his words. He placed his thumb on my bottom lip, parting my lips. "I would be, too... if I were you."

"Kan-"

I was cut short as Kaname pressed in close, the gap between our lips closing. Closing my eyes, I let myself sink further into the pillows. For a week I went without a kiss, and I was not about to let it go. My fingers enclosed around the dark strands of Kaname's hair and pulled him closer. Our tongues met, a wonderful feeling that I had been longing for so long. Kaname pulled away, breathing heavily. "God, I missed you," he breathed before bringing our lips together again.

"So... does that mean... you'll stay the night?" I whispered when we parted again.

Kaname shrugged, tilting his head to the side. "I'll have to run to the house and get some stuff," he replied.

"That's okay; hurry your ass back here, got it?"

He nodded before giving me a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'll be back soon; don't go anywhere," he said jokingly.

I chuckled, holding up my hands. "Hey, man. I'm just stuck with an I.V. and blood drip. I don't think I'll be going anywhere any time soon."

When Kaname went to open the door, he bumped into Cross, who had been standing at the open entryway for a while. "Konichiwa, Cross-kun," Kaname said politely.

Cross didn't answer, his face turning bright pink as he stammered, "W-what will this do to Yuuki?!"

My eyebrow arched. "Cross, you know about this. Stop acting so surprised," I stated in a 'matter-of-fact' way.

"That's not what I mean!" Cross said in return. "I got goose bumps just watching! Do you think Yuuki will have a nosebleed, or will she melt to the floor in squeals?"

I yanked a pillow out from under me, hurling it at the pervert. "Good God, Cross! What the hell is wrong with you?! You're getting a turn on just from me and Kaname kissing?! Perv!"

Kaname stood to the side, a wide grin on his face. "I'll let you two be; Zero-kun, I'll bring by dinner, too," he said before leaving.

"Good! I'm sick of these pudding cups!" I said after him.

Cross looked down to said pudding, pointing to it and asking, "Ano, Zero-kun, if you're not going to eat it, I will." When I nodded, he nearly erupted in squeals. "Arigatou!!!"

The vampire hunter didn't see me roll my eyes and nod off. "What do you want, Cross?" I asked as he plopped down in a chair and scooped a large spoonful of pudding into his mouth.

"This is absolutely delicious! It's better than I remember," he stated, ignoring my question.

I waited for him to finish the pudding and toss the empty cup away. Finally, I asked again, "What do you want? If it's about a case, I won't be going to work for a while."

With a heavy sigh, Cross leaned forward in his chair and folded his hands together. "Kiryuu-kun, ever since we got you back from Amane, I've been thinking over what she said to me, and I was wondering what she told you." His eyes narrowed with seriousness. "So, what did she tell you?"

I lowered my head away from him, hiding the confused look on my face. "She said... that you killed her family, and she was looking for you to kill you. That was it."

Cross nodded in understanding, his brow furrowing in hurt. "I see... do... do you believe her?"

Looking back up to him, I felt a pang of guilt hit my chest at his dejected expression. Shaking my head, I replied, "No. I kept telling her you weren't that kind of person."

He smiled weakly. "Thanks."

I crossed my arms, saying, "I want to know what really happened, though. Why would she think you killed her family if you didn't?"

"I..." His voice died away before he could finish. "Look, it's not as simple as it all sounds. True, I didn't kill Amane's family, but you might as well say that I did. You see... I was in the middle of a mission the Association had handed over to me. All the evidence pointed to the Matsuo family, so I went to their home to ask a few questions. When I got there, another hunter had gotten there first, and he was dead set that the Matsuo family had killed his partner. I... I tried to calm him down, I swear. But... before I knew it, he had unloaded his gun on them and then shot himself. Amane walked in mere minutes after it was all over. Kiryuu-kun... there was nothing I could do."

So, what Amane saw was a lie? For Cross' sake, I wished that what she saw was not what it seemed, but for Amane... she had been living on a lie for most of her sad life. I knew exactly how she felt, living on a lie. If I had not had Yuuki or Cross there beside me those four years after my parents were killed, my fate would have been the same as Amane's. "How is she doing? Have you told her this?" I asked.

Cross shook his head. "No, not yet. She's being held in solitary confinement, so I think she's doing better than if she was with the others." He leaned forward, placing his hand on my arm. "I want to do what I can for her, Kiryuu-kun. She is without a family and a home. If it will make amends between her and me, I'll take her in just like I did you and Yuuki."

"Cross Kaien?"

We both turned at the sound of the voice; standing at the doorway was a hunter who looked distraught and tired. "Oh, Tomui, what can I do for you?" Cross asked as he stood.

Tomui sighed as he handed Cross a file. "Sir, Matsuo Amane... she's dead."


	7. Chapter 7

Cross' eyes widened. "What?! Amane is dead?" he gasped. "What happened?"

Tomui nodded towards the file. "She went missing from her cell about an hour ago. We sent Yagari and a few others out, and they found her by the academy. She..." Tomui lowered his head. "She was tied to a tree and eaten alive by wild dogs."

I glanced over to Cross, saying, "Another murder just like the first."

Tomui shook his head. "No, this is different..." he stated."For someone to kill Amane the way she killed Yao... this means she worked for someone."

Pressing my face into my hands, I muttered, "What the hell..."

Patting Tomui on the shoulder, Cross said, "You can go now; thank you, Tomui-san." Once the hunter had left, however, Cross slunk back in his chair and rested his head in his hand. "Poor Amane... she was so young and helpless. All she needed was someone to love her and she would have turned out all right."

"There's nothing we could have done; even with our protection, she would have ended up dead anyway," I said. "Hand me the file."

My stomach lurched into my throat as soon as I saw the first photo of Amane's corpse. Unlike Yao's body, there was still plenty of meat and blood left to Amane; her head was tilted crookedly to the side, and from the looks of it, her wide golden eyes had been gouged out. Stapled to her skinless forehead was a note reading "_Better watch your back_". "Cross, do you think this is a threat to you?" I asked, holding up a close up shot of the note.

The hunter shrugged. "Who knows? I've made many enemies over the course of my life, so I wouldn't be surprised if someone was out to kill me."

"Why are you acting so laid back about this?!" I asked roughly. "Just because a little girl died doesn't mean you get to mope; someone is out to kill you!"

Cross shook his head, covering his face and saying, "That's exactly why I'm not worried; a little girl died because of me. Kiryuu-kun... she never heard the truth from me. I've wanted to tell her for a while now, and now I never will."

Now I was getting angry. Slamming my fist against the bed railing, I yelled, "You idiot! You're worried about a kid rather than yourself! She killed a person! She tortured me! Why the hell are you turning a blind eye to what she did and mourning for her?! She was a criminal!"

For the first time, Cross actually raised his voice back at me. "You're out of place, Kiryuu-kun. I'm not turning a blind eye, but I am also not forgetting that for nearly seven years, someone thought I took everything away from her! Seven years of guilt that I have had to live with! Have you not considered that maybe finding her was the only way for me to finally rest in peace?"

My heart stopped as he said this. I honestly had never thought of that. I've never lived with guilt before, so why should I know? But still... he was completely ignoring the basics of being a hunter: to live in fear of being killed every day. I leaned forward in my bed, saying through clenched teeth, "Cross, I don't want you to go back to the academy tonight. Stay with Yuuki and try to act like none of this happened. Your life is at stake here."

His eyes narrowed and his lips drew tight. I had never seen him look like this before, ever. Not even when he was staring down an enemy. "I'm not stupid, Kiryuu-kun. I have been in the hunting business far longer than you have; I think I know what I'm doing." He stood, swiping the file from my hand and heading towards the door.

"Cross..."

He stopped, turning to look at me from over his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Kiryuu-kun... I'm just... a little agitated, that's all." A weak smile replaced the scowl. "You get better, okay?"

_(Oh no! Cross is sad! What will happen now?!)_

I was still lost in my own thoughts when a knock came to the door. "Hai, come in," I muttered half heartidly.

Kaname let himself in, a small bag slung around his shoulder. He looked worried when he saw the expression on my face. "You don't look like yourself; what happened?" he asked as he set the bag down and sat beside me.

"Nothing," I lied.

He placed his hand over mine, squeezing my fingers lightly. "You know, you always were bad at lying," he said whispered gently. "Com'on, tell me what's wrong."

With a sigh, I leaned my head back against the pillows and stared up at the ceiling. "Cross... we got into a fight a while ago... I... I think I really hurt him..." My eyes felt moist as tears built up in them, but no matter how hard I tried, they wouldn't stop coming. "This is ridiculous..." I muttered, taking my hand out from under Kaname's to wipe the tears from my face. "Why would I be crying like a kid now?!"

A small chuckle escaped Kaname's lips. "Zero-kun, there's no need to worry about anything. I understand if you shed a few tears here and there for Cross. He's been through a lot, I know," he said with a soft smile.

"Oh? You know about today then?"

"I heard about it, yes."

"Then... what would you do, in something like this?"

He leaned back in his chair, a look of deep concentration on his face. "Well..." he started, "I agree with Cross on this one. Even after everything that has happened, Amane still deserved to know the truth, and Cross was the only one who could have lifted his burden from himself. Just relax, Zero-kun. Cross can manage himself."

I looked away, pouting out my bottom lip and scratching the back of my head. "Well, I still don't like it. The guy's going to end up getting himself killed one day, and I'm going to have to be the one to clean up the mess."

Kaname stood, leaning forward and placing his hand over the bandages on my chest. "The wounds... do they still hurt?" he asked, watching watch him as he traced his fingertips along my chest.

"No... not really..." I murmured.

"Good," Kaname whispered in my ear. "After a week of going without seeing you, I don't think I can hold back much longer." Then he looked at the I.V. stuck my arm, his brow furrowing slightly. "Hm... that's a bit problematic..."

"I don't need it anymore," I stated before pulling out the I.V. and leaning closer to him. "I can't hold back much longer, either."


	8. Chapter 8

_*warning, mature content*_

"Heh... the bed's a little... small for this..."

"Do you... aah... wanna move...?"

"Yeah... The chair... maybe?"

"Sure... it looks more... comfortable..."

It was like a game, moving to the love seat (no really, that's what it's called) without keeping our hands off each other, but we made it there eventually. Kaname sat back in the seat, pulling me down with him so I was sitting in his lap. He grimaced as he stoked my bandaged chest and stomach. "I wish you weren't wearing these... I'd eat you..." he breathed.

I closed one eye and shivered with delight as his soft hands moved up and down my back. During our week apart I could only think of those hands touching me, caressing me... squeezing me. And now I had them again. "I want you... to fuck me harder than ever before..." I moaned as I pushed myself closer to him, wanting more of his touch.

He smiled. "Anything for you, Zero-kun."

My mouth gaped as his strong hands grasped my hips and slowly lowered me down on his throbbing length. I had almost forgotten what it felt like to have him moving inside me. "Aah.... hah...." I gasped as he sank deeper and deeper in.

As if to ease the pain, Kaname leaned in closer, running his long fingers through my hair and breathing warm air on my neck. "God, you feel... amazing..." he whispered.

It took all my strength to hold back the loud moans and gasps as Kaname lifted me slightly and thrust into me again and again. I gripped the plush arms of the chair tightly and arched my back when Kaname rubbed his fingertips on the small of my back.

"Uah... oh, shiiit..."

"Come for me, Zero-kun... I'll make you come... for me..."

I threw my head back wide eyes when Kaname changed his angle and slammed in deeper than before; for a while, I was seeing doubles. "Fuuuck... Kaname, you... bastaaard..."

Kaname leaned back in the chair, stopping to gaze up at me. Shocked, I looked down and snarled, "What the hell, man?! You know what this kind of build up does to a guy!"

"... you're beautiful..."

"Huh?"

He reached up to run his hands over my chest and down my sides. "When you throw your head back like that... and moan my name... it's beautiful..." His cold fingers gently caressed my trembling manhood, continuing, "And when the moonlight illuminates your glistening body... it makes me want you more..."

I clenched my eyes shut and lowered my head as his hand began to move slowly up and down, up and down. "Kan... ame... stop teasing me..." I choked.

"On the contrary," Kaname whispered, "you're the one teasing me."

A wail was released from the depths of my lungs as I was released at the final squeeze of Kaname's hand. Exhausted, I slumped against the pureblood, trembling. "Kaname..." I rasped. "I... love you..."

Kaname chuckled lightly as he brushed aside my hair and kissed my forehead. "I know..." he whispered.

"IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT?!"

Kaname and I sat up stiffly at the voice and turned towards the door as it flew open. My face and body burned hot as someone stepped inside and saw us in the chair. "Yu... Yuuki?!"

She looked horrified, quickly falling backwards and screaming, "Zero-kun?! Kaname-sama?! What... what the hell is this?!" Her face turned beet red in embarrassment.

I tumbled off Kaname's lap, grabbing the bed sheets to hide myself. "What the hell, Yuuki?! You can't just go barging into people's rooms! The sock was on the door!" I shouted.

Yuuki wasn't swayed. "Who cares about the sock?! I heard someone scream and I thought someone was getting killed! Kaname-sama... you're cheating on me?! With Zero-kun?!"

Kaname shrugged as he pulled up his pants. "We're not married yet, so it's not technically cheating," he answered. "What Zero-kun and I do is our own business."

"What are you doing here, Yuuki?" I stammered as I searched around for my underwear and pants. "It's two in the morning."

Yuuki's expression suddenly changed, her eyes downcast and lip trembling. "I came to tell you..." she murmured, "Aidou heard something outside the house and went to look around... he found Cross lying outside."

My eyes widened. "Cross?! Is he okay?!" I gasped.

Yuuki shook her head as the tears began to fall. "He's alive, but barely... from the looks of it, he was attacked by a wild dog, and his anti-vampire weapon was broken in half. The doctor sent me to get you, Kaname-sama. I have the car waiting outside."

Anger welled up inside me; Cross must have been going to stay with Yuuki when he was attacked. This... was my fault... if I hadn't told him to go to the Kuran house, then he would be okay. But now... he was dying because of me. "I'll kill that bastard..."

The two vampires glanced back to me. ''Zero-kun..." Yuuki muttered.

I felt my fists clench up as my body shook with rage. Glaring at the ground, I said, "Cross got hurt because of me... I... I won't let that bastard who hurt him get away with this..."

Kaname placed a hand on my shoulder, saying, "I won't let you do that. You need to stay here and heal."

Throwing his hand off my shoulder, I yelled, "Fuck it! My caretaker is hurt! Because of me! I have to avenge him for my sake!"

The pureblood grabbed me by the shoulders, shaking me lightly. "I won't let you get hurt again!"

"Let him do it, Kaname-sama."

Yuuki's wide brown eyes gazed back up to Kaname with an intensity I've never seen. Even Kaname seemed surprised. "Yuuki..."

"If you care for Zero-kun _that _much, you would let him go. Just... let him go..." Her eyes swelled with tears and her small shoulders shook with each sob. "I want that bastard to pay for what he did to Cross as well; after what he did for me and Zero-kun, he at least deserves this much."

I smiled weakly. "Arigatou, Yuuki..."

She knew what I was feeling; it wasn't just the burning hatred or want of revenge. No, it was neither of these. For the first time in my life, I knew what it felt like to live with guilt, and I couldn't bear it much longer if I wasn't going to do anything about it.


	9. Chapter 9

It was a very awkward ride back to the Kuran house; although Kaname had the gas pedal to the floor, it seemed as if hours had gone by. I didn't dare to look at Yuuki. After what she saw, I'm sure she was going through some kind of mental trauma. Letting out a yawn, I pretended to study the dark country side once we passed through the city.

"I understand, Kiryuu-kun...."

"Eh?" I asked, turning back to Yuuki.

She blushed, looking down to her hands and twirling her thumbs. "I'll have to say, though, I'm kind of shocked; but I've understood for a while now."

My brow furrowed with confusion. She understood? Did that mean she knew about me and Kaname this whole time and never said anything? It made no sense. "How... how did you know about us?" I stammered.

Yuuki shrugged, looking away. "Kaname-sama never made advances on me after you solved the Jack the Ripper case. I figured something was up, so I decided to let it be. But..." her voice died away as she covered her blushing face. "I didn't know you and Kaname-sama... were..."

"Well, I don't care that you know," I stated, patting her head roughly. When she backed away, I narrowed my eyes and said, "Don't worry, I washed my hands afterwards." I glanced up to see Kaname looking back at me through the rearview mirror. When I felt my face get warm, I looked back down to Yuuki and asked, "So, Cross? What else can you tell us about what happened?"

Yuuki lowered her head. "I... I don't know. The doctor said he was going to be okay, but it would take him a while to heal. And there's also the matter of his anti-vampire weapon."

"I'm sorry."

Her eyes widened. "Why are you saying sorry? You didn't do anything wrong."

"Yeah, I did. I told Cross to stay with you tonight, and look what happened. It's my fault he was there in the first place."

She rubbed my arm, saying, "Well, at least he's alive. We have that to be thankful for."

We came to an abrupt stop, which nearly sent me and Yuuki head first into the seats. "What the hell, Kaname?! You could've gotten us killed!" I yelled.

Kaname didn't reply, but instead stared silently out the window. With an annoyed sighed, I clambered into the front passenger seat and looked to where he was staring. "Why'd you stop?" I asked.

"Shush; I thought I saw something," the vampire replied.

I fell silent, looking around at the darkness outside. A thick fog had settled, so there wasn't much to see. Then a shadow passed before the car, a huge mass of darkness. "Whoa!" I gasped. "Did you see that?"

"Kaname-sama..."

We both looked around to see Yuuki, who was trembling with fear. Kaname smiled softly, reaching back to stroke her cheek. "It's okay; you have us here to protect you."

"HOLY SHIT!!!"

The shadow appeared at my side of the car, large yellow eyes glaring at me. I scooted up against Kaname as close as I could, fumbling for Bloody Rose. "Drive, Kaname, drive!" I shouted.

The engine revved up loudly as Kaname hit the gas and sent us speeding into the fog. Yuuki screamed as the hard bumps sent us jolting up and down, forward and backward. We could barely see anything, thanks to the damn fog. What we could see, though, was the large shadow and yellow eyes following closely behind us. I lowered my window and stuck Bloody Rose out, firing a few quick shots; it didn't slow the thing down at all.

"The bullets... they have no effect..."

"Hold on," Kaname hissed as he braked suddenly, sending us flying forward. The beast fell for the trick, though, running a steady pace ahead before realizing we had stopped. Then Kaname switched the car into reverse, yelling, "Yuuki, be my eyes!"

We lurched forward again as the car sped backwards, no with the beast in clear view. My eyes widened as the thing tumbled towards us, yellow eyes aflame. Thick black fur stood on end and crooked pointed ears were laid back against its neck. Sharp claws the length of a pen reached out for us. Never before had I seen anything like it. "Is that... a werewolf?!" I breathed in shock.

Kaname's eyes narrowed. "It's a lycan, but they went extinct a hundred years ago," he said through bared fangs. "Why is this one still alive?"

Before I could open my mouth to say 'I don't know', the monster took a giant leap forward and swiped at the car. We yelled and screamed as the car went tumbling, rolling over several times before coming to a stop upside down. I came crashing down on the back of my neck when the seat belt snapped, jabbing my shoulders with shattered glass. With hazy eyes, I looked back to Kaname; his eyes were closed and blood streamed down his face.

"Ze... Zero-kun..."

Yuuki's face was so weak, so fragile. When I saw the large cut on her cheek and the tears forming in her eyes, I couldn't help but tear up myself. "Yuuki... are you okay?" I asked weakly.

"I'm fine... is Kaname...?"

I managed to crawl closer to Kaname and gently placed my hand on his chest. "He's breathing," I sighed in relief. My fingers were stained with Kaname's blood as I brushed back his hair to reveal the large gash on his forehead. "Oh, shit..." I breathed. "We need to get him out of here."

"Zero-kun... where's the lycan?"

Now that I thought about it, we hadn't heard the monster once since we stopped spinning. I gazed out the cracked and broken windows, searching for the huge shadow. "I... I don't see it..." I muttered.

I had barely managed to utter this before a large hand grabbed my leg and dragged me from the broken passenger window. Yuuki screamed as she reached for my hand, but I was already flung away from the car. My ribs cracked as I landed hard and rolled, coming to a stop at the base of a tree. I coughed up blood which only shocked my lungs and ribs more. The beast hovered above me, a low growl emitting from its throat. "Kiryuu... Zero..." its deep voice rasped. "It's your time to die..."

Large fingers wrapped around my neck, hoisting me up from the ground and holding me a good four feet high. I had no strength to fight back; I _couldn't_ fight back. "What... do you want with me?" I gasped.

The yellow eyes narrowed as the beast's lips curled back to reveal large fangs. "You... are protecting... Cross..."

My eyes widened as my airway constricted. "Ga....aah..." I couldn't breathe... I couldn't breathe... I _needed _to breathe. My lungs felt as if they were ready to explode. As I began to fade into unconsciousness, I heard a faint voice in the distance:

_"Lycan... va...nish..."_

Next I knew, I was dropped and the lycan was howling above me, covering its ears from something I couldn't hear. Behind the beast, struggling to stand, was Kaname, his arm outstretched towards the animal. One eye was closed, the eye below the deep gash in his forehead where blood ran down his face. He didn't look hurt in his eyes, though; he looked fucking pissed off. As I lay there gasping for breath, all I could think about was how to help him kill this cursed beast. Bloody Rose had no effect on it; why would it? An anti-vampire weapon is useless against a lycan. So, once again, I was utterly useless in this fight. Kaname's legs gave out on him as he fell to the ground, breathing heavily. "Zero-kun... get Yuuki out of here... I'll... hold him here..."

I rolled over on all fours, coughing up more blood. "No way..." I rasped. "I'm staying here..."

"You kids sure are amateurs when it comes to fightin' lycans, ain't ya?"

Strong arms hoisted me up off the ground, and when I looked at the owner of the gruff voice, I couldn't help but be shocked. "Yagari-sensei?" I gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting your sorry asses out of trouble," he replied, setting me against the tree. Then he turned to Kaname, yelling, "Oi, pureblood! Get your ass back in the car!"

The lycan's roar was enough to deafen me for a few seconds. It turned towards me and Yagari, growling, "Kiryuu Zero... you must die."

A smug smirk spread on Yagari's face as he stepped between me and the lycan. "Suck it, lycan," he smarted off, holding his rifle ready, "but you ain't eatin' him tonight." Then he cupped his hand around his mouth, yelling, "Spring it!"

Ropes went flying everywhere, wrapping around the lycan's arms and legs. With a roar, the beast fell to the ground, struggling against its tight bonds. Yagari smiled, saying, "Yosh! Now we can haul this pile of shit off to headquarters and wait for the lycan branch pick it up. We'll get answers from him later." He patted me roughly on the back, completely forgetting the fact that I was disoriented and falling apart. At the simple touch of his rough hand, I went sprawling forward, landing face first on the ground. "Oi, baka student, get up. You ain't dead yet," Yagari stated as he poked me with his foot.

"Stop poking me... damn it..."

"Hey, dumbass! I don't wanna here that language from you!"

"Fuck it... get us to a fuckin' hospital, you dipshit..."

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"


	10. Chapter 10

"Are you sure you're going to be okay? You're still pretty injured."

I nodded as I buttoned up my shirt over my bandaged and bruised body. "Yeah, I'll be fine," I replied, turning to Kaname. "Just a little sore, that's all."

He chuckled lightly. "Baka... you've been in a bed all week and you can't even remember how to button up your shirt right."

Looking down, I chuckled anxiously to myself as I noticed the mismatched buttons. "Heh... look at that..." I moved to unbutton my shirt and try again, but my hands were shaking too much. With a light touch, Kaname held my hands to my sides.

"You're nervous about something," he said as he began to button my shirt for me. "Or are you angry?"

"Honestly, I'm fuckin' pissed."

"At the lycan?"

I turned my head away, attempting to hide the scowl forming on my face. "Yeah; I've never been this upset before. This thing... it killed a girl and got us all into a giant mess. I don't care about what happens to me, but you... when he messes with you, I can't help but get angry."

Kaname sighed deeply, blowing gently against my chest. "Don't get so flustered about me; I can handle my own," he stated. Then he took a step back, patting my shoulder. "There, all set."

"Thanks. Do you know how Cross is doing?"

"Better. He apparently has no memory of the attack. Now it's just a case of getting him out in the field again."

"How are you doing?"

He shrugged, tilting his head to the side. "My head still hurts like hell, but it could be worse."

I breathed a sigh of relief; we had all been in the hospital for nearly a full week. My ribs were still cracked, but I could manage to move with minimal pain. Kaname's main wounds healed quickly but his left arm was broken and he suffered from massive headaches every day. Yuuki suffered minor injuries, the main one being whip lash. Luckily for us, the vampire blood that flowed through our veins kept us from having massive scarring and loss of blood, but it didn't help out broken bodies any.

Cross was in far worse shape. It was only natural; he was human, after all. When Aidou found him, Cross was lying face down in a pool of his own blood; a long gaping wound ran from his right shoulder down to his stomach, nearly ripping open his chest cavity. He was strong, though (despite his appearance). In a matter of a week, he was up and walking again (of course, with help), but he grew tired easily. Plus, his memories shortly before and after the attack were fuzzy. The doctors blamed this on blood loss, but I thought it was because he didn't want to remember.

As for the lycan, it was being detained at an underground branch of lycan hunters, and now I was on my way to get answers out of it. After what it did to me and everyone else, I was expecting some damn good answers.

I arrived at the branch's headquarters, a small building on the outskirts of Osaka. There, in the small dusty lobby, I stood waiting for what seemed like forever. This place wasn't anything like the Hunter's Association back at home; our building was huge, filled with books and records dating back to the Middle Ages. This place was nearly empty, and had an old people smell to it. Whenever I paced back and forth in the lobby, I constantly kicked up dust.

"Ano... are you Kiryuu Zero?"

Standing behind me was a small old man, his gray eyes shifting back and forth nervously. "Yes...?"

"Come this way, please."

I followed closely behind, awed at the lack of security and people. "Don't you worry about the lycans getting out?" I asked at one point.

The old man laughed heartily. "No, son. You see, we haven't had a lycan show up here in nearly a hundred years," he replied.

"Then why are you still open for business?"

"For cases like yours."

I was taken aback at his reply. For cases like mine? If this case was so vital for the survival of this branch, then why weren't there more people taking care of it? Already five minutes in, and my first impression of the place went further downhill. This all changed, though, when the old man suddenly stopped and turned to me. "Now, young man, what you're about to see is strictly confidential. Do you understand?"

What could be so 'strictly confidential' about a rundown building? At first I thought he was joking, so I laughed and said, "Right. I can keep secrets."

A gap-toothed grin spread on the old man's face. "Good. The door at the end of the hall should open up to the lab. Be careful in there and don't touch anything." Then he left, hobbling back down the hall towards the lobby.

This place honestly creeped me out. Cobwebs hung from the corners and doors, and the ceiling was falling apart due to mold damage. Other than the old ma, I had not seen anyone else. What kind of place was this?

I was shocked when I got to the door at the end of the hall. Although it looked like all the other doors I passed, a haunting aura seemed to hover over this space. I hesitated before gripping the old brass knob and flinging the door open. What I saw nearly sent me back in awe. Instead of an old horror movie-lie lab, stainless steel plates covered the walls and floor, and on a high platform in the center of the room was a group of scientists scrambling around. One stood out as the leader of the group, a man with shaggy blonde strawberry blonde hair and black rimmed glasses; the blue lab coat he wore looked a little big, the sleeves billowing up at his hands.

"No, no, no! Don't soak the bones in that solution! Do you know what acid does to things? You're destroying evidence! Kozuko, tell this newb what to do! Nanami, have you identified those particulates yet? Well, hurry up with them! You!" The man turned to me, pointing an accusatory finger my way. "What are you doing here?!"

I arched an eyebrow, replying, "I'm Kiryuu Zero from the Vampire Hunter's Association; I'm here to question the lycan."

The scientist jumped down from the platform, stuffing his hands in his pockets and kicking the door shut behind me. "Vampire Hunter's Association, huh? I don't remember getting a notice about this."

"I set the notice on your desk, sir," a faint voice behind him said.

He sighed, removing his glasses and roughing up his thick blond hair. "Hai, hai... we've got the guy downstairs, so if you'll follow me, I'll take you to him. Mind you, though, he's still not quite stable." Then he stuck out his hand, adding, "The name's Shisuku Hiroki. I'm the head forensic scientist here in the lab."

I rigidly shook his hand, saying, "Pleased to meet you."

"You been injured recently?" Hiroki asked as he turned and beckoned me to follow him. "You're holding your arm strangely."

"I was in that car the lycan tipped over... my ribs were cracked."

"Oh... sorry to hear that. How are the others doing?" he asked.

"They're fine; one went home already and the other is still being treated for head trauma."

Hiroki lowered his head, muttering, "Damn... you vampire hunters get all the fun..."

With a sigh, I said, "Well, they're a bitch to kill."

His green eyes flashed towards me, a wide grin spreading on his face. "You think vampires are a bitch to kill? All you have to do is stab them through the heart of head. Lycans, well, you have to pump them full of silvers before they kick the bucket."

My brows furrowed. "I don't understand. If lycans were supposed to be extinct over a century ago, then how do you know so much about them?" I asked.

Hiroki paused, turning to face me. "They're not extinct; they've been asleep. Although lycans are not as common as vampires, they're still worth studying, worth looking for... There's probably a colony of them out there somewhere, but we don't know where it is. So all we have to do is wait for them until they make their appearance." He squealed with delight, hugging himself and rocking back and forth. "Isn't that exciting?! I just gave myself goose bumps talking about it!"

"... nerd..."

The man pouted, crossing his arms over his blue lab coat and turning briskly around. "Fine, you think that. Next time you meet a lycan and don't know what to do, don't come complaining to me!"

We came to a long hallway. Shiny steel doors were on either side, and large black numbers lined along the bottom of each one. "He's in room 203," Hiroki stated. 'If he gets out of hand, though, get your ass out of there as fast as you can; unlike vampires, these guys aren't willing to negotiate."

"I'll keep that in mind."


	11. Chapter 11

With a sigh, I opened the door and stepped inside. The person I saw sitting there nearly sent chills down my spine.

"Yo."

Golden eyes glared up at me, hidden behind a mass of black hair. The features of this being were of a human, not a lycan. Turning back to Hiroki, I asked, "Are you sure this is the lycan?"

"Yep! They change back into human form when they want to, and this is what we got," came the reply. Then the scientist leaned in closer, whispering, "Honestly, I think he looks a lot cuter in this form!"

I quickly closed the door behind me, slamming it in the guy's face. "Shut up, perv," I breathed before sitting across from the man. He looked oddly... familiar, but deep down I knew I never met him before. I watched his golden eyes narrowed as I stared at him, studied him. Why... why did I know him?

"So... you're the one who attacked us?"

A smirk spread on the guy's face as he tilted his head back in a cocky way. "Yeah, and what of it?" he asked sarcastically.

"What of it?" I repeated. "You nearly killed four people and murdered a girl."

He looked away, his eyes closing and black hair falling before his face. "I didn't kill a girl; exactly what are you accusing me of?" he muttered.

"You... what's your name?"

"Why?"

"... I want to know something..."

With a scoff, he crossed his left leg over his right knee and leaned back in the chair. "Mao Rui," he replied.

I shook my head. No, it didn't ring a bell. But still, I had an annoying feeling that he and I were connected somehow. "What do you want with Cross that's so important? What does he have that's killing for?" I asked through bared teeth.

A scowl formed on the lycan's face. "Like I would tell you; I already gave you my name, so isn't that enough?" he growled. "Besides, who's Cross?"

Lurching across the desk, I took a hold of his collar, pulling him closer to my fangs. "Listen, after what you did to me and Cross, I expect more than a few answers from you. See these fangs? One wrong word from you, and I'll drain every drop of blood from your worthless body."

He laughed, pulling away from my grasp. "You wouldn't like my blood; no vampire likes the blood of a lycan," he replied. "Shall I describe the taste for you?"

"I'm the one asking questions here, jackass," I growled. I stood, circling around the table and studying him at all angles. Golden eyes. Black hair. A sinister smirk. Somehow, I couldn't get it out of my mind that I knew him. "You... you're not related to Matsuo Amane, are you?"

"Her name is not Amane! Nor is it Chiaki!" he shouted back suddenly. "Wei... her name was Wei..."

Wei... she never mentioned another name. Was there something major that I was missing? "I'm not understanding... how are you related to Wei; she was a vampire, and you are a lycan."

"They lied to her."

"Excuse me?"

"Wei was found by the Matsuo family when our clan gave her up," Rui sighed. "She was raised thinking she was a pureblood, but no... The Matsuo family had taken in a lycan without even knowing it. I found her again a few years ago and tried to teach her who she really was. She never listened."

"Is that why you killed her? Because she wouldn't listen?"

His eyes widened. "What?! Wei is dead?!"

He didn't know she was dead? How was this possible? He must have killed her; he's the only link we had to her death and Cross' attack. "Yes, she's dead," I replied.

"No..." Rui gasped as he covered his face with his hands, hiding the tears. "She was alive when I last saw her!"

"She was?"

He blinked twice. "Yeah, she was with a man."

A man.

"What did he look like?" I asked, my grip tight on his shoulder.

Rui lowered his head as he thought back to last week's events. "He was tall," he began slowly, "and he had shoulder-length blonde hair. He was wearing a black coat, and he took off his glasses when he saw Wei walking up to him. Did..." He stood, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me, "Did that man kill her?!"

Cross.

Wait.

Wei was dead by the time Cross left the hospital to go to the Kuran's; there was no possible way that the girl whom Cross saw was Wei. "No, he didn't kill her," I replied. "Wei... Wei was dead by that time." I stood there watching as he fought off the tears, but soon, he covered his face again with his arm and let the tears fall. Frankly, I was getting annoyed; now the case made NO sense. "Come on, man up," I stated in an annoyed tone.

"Man up?" Rui asked as he pulled back his arm and glared up to me with flashing golden orbs. "Wei was my little sister; how do you expect for me to 'man up' when my only sister is now dead? We lycans have been asleep for over a century; I just woke up twenty years ago, and now my sister is dead. I have no one to hang on to now."

My brow furrowed. "But what about that colony of lycans somewhere, huh?" I asked, thinking back to Hiroki's words. "You can go back to them, right?"

"... they're all dead... I'm... the last of my kind." Rui looked up to me, his black hair falling before his face. "If you know anything about lycans, we can't breed with mere humans; just other lycans. The lycans could have survived if Wei were still alive, but now... my lineage stops with me."

Now I understood why he was crying; Kaname would have shed the same tears if he had lost Yuuki. This man... he wasn't only crying for his sister's sake, but also for the sake of his species. I looked away, shuddering. Strangely, I knew what he was going through, and it made me feel the pain of guilt. But still; with Wei dead, that meant that there was still a killer out there, someone who was still looking for Cross. Whatever it was that tricked Cross did a damn good job of ripping him apart. "Don't worry," I stated, "we'll find your sister's killer."

Rui looked up to me with widened golden eyes. "I… apologize for attacking you last week. I could smell Wei, sense her presence. I thought you were trying to take her away again."

I patted him on the shoulder. "Now that you told me, I understand."

He looked down to his hands, staring at his tan palms. "What should I do now?" he asked. "I have nowhere to go... no one to go to. It's happening all over again…"

_What's happening all over again?_

"... Have you ever thought about becoming a vampire hunter?"

Before he could answer, my phone began vibrating in my pocket. I looked at the caller i.d., wincing. "Sorry, I have to take this," I stated before stepping out. "Hai, moshi moshi. Make this quick, I'm in the middle of something," I stated.

"_Zero-kun?"_

It was Yuuki. And she sounded worried.

"Yeah, it's me. What's up? Is Cross okay? Did something happen?"

_"Yes, he's fine. Zero-kun... I got my test results back from the doctors..."_

"Is something wrong? Yuuki, tell me!"

_"No, I'm fine! It's just... I wanted to tell you first..."_

"Tell me what? Quickly, I'm doing something for the case," I said hurriedly.

_"Zero-kun, I'm..._

_... I'm pregnant..."_


	12. Chapter 12

_WHAAAAAAT?????!!!! Yuuki is pregnant??!! What is this nonsense?! And the Lycan Case has yet to be solved!!! Fear not, my doting reviewers/readers, for I shall provide... A THIRD VAMPIRE KNIGHT STORY!!! Mwahaha! Yesh, while writing the second one, I suddenly had an idea for a 3rd one, so a 3rd one you shall receive!!!!! You're probably asking questions like:_

_1. Well, now that Yuuki's pregnant, what will that do to Zero and Kaname's love relationship?_

_2. If Kaname loves Zero more than Yuuki, why the hell did he get her pregnant?! (did I ever say it was Kaname who got her pregnant? Who knows...)_

_3. Who freakin' killed Wei and attacked Cross?!?!?!_

_4. What will happen to Rui? Will his story continue on to the next story?!_

_5. Did I leave forget to do my homework?! SHIT!_

_And probably a lot more questions. But they shall all be answered in the third story! Again, thank you!!!_


End file.
